Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Bruce bought a bag of lovely roasted poblano peppers at Heinie’s Market in Wheat Ridge, CO. They smelled wonderful! I was trying to think what I could make with them and after looking in my fridge and pantry, I created this recipe on the fly. This can be served as a main course or a side.

Serves 5 to 6 as a meal, 10 to 12 as a side

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 roasted poblano peppers, skins removed
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• Corn sliced off of 1 fresh corn cob
• 1 cup of cooked rice
• 2 cups of grated manchego cheese (you could use cheddar or any other melting cheese), divided into 2 one cups.
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon of chipotle powder
• 2 teaspoons of half sharp paprika powder or regular paprika
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper power
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil

Tools:

Large bowl, knife, cutting board, casserole dish or roasting pan at least 12 by 8 inches, fork or potato masher, spoon for stirring

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and oil the bottom of the casserole dish or roasting pan.
2. Drain the can of black beans and pour them into a large bowl. Mash about half the black beans with a fork or potato masher.
3. Pour the can of dice tomatoes with the juice into the bowl with the beans. Add the onion, corn, rice, and 1 cup of manchego to the beans. Stir together. The stuffing mixture should be a little bit wet, but not sopping
4. Add the oregano, garlic powder, chipotle powder, half sharp paprika powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to the stuffing mixture in the bowl and mix well with the spoon.
5. Slit one side of the poblano peppers from crown to end with a knife and remove the seeds by spreading the pepper open and carefully cutting out the placenta that holds the seeds and caspaicin glands from the crown end of the pepper.
6. Take the slit pepper and carefully add the stuffing by adding it at the crown end first. Fill up the crown end first, then add more stuffing to the rest of the pepper. If the pepper splits, that is okay. Carefully lay the stuffed pepper crown end next to the long side of the casserole dish or roasting pan and the pointed end toward the middle of the dish or pan.
7. Repeat step 7, but putting the pepper on the opposite side of the pan. You may have to move the pointed ends just a little bit so they don’t overlap.
8. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until all the peppers are stuffed and in the dish or pan.
9. If there is any stuffing left over, place it along the pointed end of the peppers.
10. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the stuffed peppers.
11. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. The cheese will be melted and browned.
12. Serve by scooping out a pepper and any stuffing that covered the pointed end of the pepper.

Notes:

To make this vegan, use vegan cheese.

Two peppers make a meal. One pepper makes a side.